


All it took was a fire

by Starsintheireyes



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, one shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 15:32:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14108469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starsintheireyes/pseuds/Starsintheireyes
Summary: Beca comes back from a particularly bad date with Jesse, only to find the Bellas house on fire. Most of them are out, but Chloe is still in the building...





	All it took was a fire

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T for swearing, you know how much Beca swears

Beca wished she hadn’t gone out that night. Sure, it was date night with Jesse and considering how distant she had been, she felt an obligation to go and reassure him that everything was fine between them. Even though she didn’t know if they were.

Beca wished she hadn’t gone out that night.

The evening had been sub-par, and Beca felt herself becoming more and more detached from the conversation as the night went along, despite there only being two of them. Jesse dominated their discussions, filled with enthusiasm, fervour, passion and everything Beca wasn’t feeling. Swirling the pasta around on her plate and keeping more eye contact with the table than she did with her boyfriend. If Jesse noticed, he didn’t say anything, most likely brushing it off as ‘usual-Beca-behaviour’.

Though it wasn’t usual to anyone who wasn’t Jesse.

Leaving the Bella’s house that evening felt, weird. Like she shouldn’t have left, and instead should’ve stayed cuddled up by Chloe’s side like she had been most of the afternoon. It was movie night, but her date had been rescheduled, and it was one of the only times Beca had wished she’d stayed in. The reason she felt this didn’t hit her until she arrived back at the Bella’s house a couple of hours later, not needing to convince Jesse that she was fine walking to her door alone. The evening has been a disaster.  
As she turned the corner, and the Bella’s house came into sight, she felt her heart stop. Fire engines were scattered around the premises, an ambulance was parked on the grass, and a few Bella’s were escaping out of the building, spluttering as they went. Beca felt her body run towards the burning house, cursing that she hadn’t worn her sneakers. She ran towards the nearest fire marshal, arms flailing as she asked what the hell was going on.

“A fire started in the house ma’am.” No shit, Beca thought, refraining from rolling her eyes as he continued. “We trying to keep it under control and get everyone out safely. If you’d excuse me.”

He walked past Beca, over to his colleagues who were dousing the flames with water. Beca’s eyes scanned over the scene as quick as they could, fast pacing over to her friends who had gathered safely away from the building, medics swarming them as they did. 

“Guys what happened, is everyone okay?” Her voice shook a little, but she managed to swallow the lump in her throat.

Stacie spoke up first.

“Amy was trying to cook, one of her specials that we hadn’t tried yet. You can imagine how it went from there.” Stacie’s teeth were a little gritted, but her body quivered and Beca couldn’t decipher whether it was from anger or shock.

“Who the fuck let Amy cook, and how did the fire get so bad.” The Bella’s glanced over at Emily, who seemed to squirm and retreat under their gaze.

“There was a water bottle nearby and I tried to use that to put it out, how was I supposed to know it had vodka in it!”

The volume of her voice took Beca aback, but she didn’t have time to argue. Her eyes flickered over the group once again, but her heart sank when she saw someone was missing.

“Guys where’s Chloe?”

Their eyes widened almost comically, but no one found any humour in them.

“She was upstairs I thought…I thought she was out already.” Cynthia-Rose sounded quiet, weirdly so for her personality.

Beca didn’t think she’d ever heard the girl so timid.

“You’re telling me, that Chloe is still in there!”

Half of them flinched but Beca didn’t hang around long enough to notice, making her way as fast as she could towards the house. It was still on fire, smoke still billowing out the windows, and Beca’s heart was still in her throat.

“CHLOE! CHLOE!”

She ducked under the tape, wondering how someone had found the time when a building was on fire. Beca managed to gain a few steps before she felt hands grasping the back of her shirt, pulling her into their grip as she tried to claw her way back out.

“NO! LET GO OF ME THERE’S STILL SOMEONE IN THERE!”

She heard a blur of words in the background, watching as the Firemen jumped into action. Pushing their way past the layer of smoke that had gathered at the door, Beca was still trying to wriggle free. She could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes, a sob catching in her throat at the thought of Chloe stuck upstairs, black smoke surrounding her body as she lay helpless on-

“CHLOE!”

The Bella’s had gathered around her at this point, taking her from the Marshal’s grasp.

“Beca you can’t go in there!”

“The hell I can’t!”

But Amy had Beca clutched to her, and it was impossible to wriggle free from that. Many of the girls had hands over their mouths or placed on their chests, but Beca’s were encased by Amy’s hands, so the tears began to blur her vision and stream down her cheeks.   
They stood there for what felt like hours to Beca, her arms becoming tired and probably bruised, but her focus remained on the front door. Praying to every god that she would see Chloe coming through those doors. Her breathing was shallow and broken at this point, stomach contorting with every second that passed. In a heartbeat there was movement and voices and Beca blinked to clear her vision, just in time to see one of the firemen carrying out a limp body in their arms. From a distance it looked like anyone, but that red hair was hard to miss.

“CHLOE!”

During the time they had waited, Amy’s hold had loosened from lack of concentration, and Beca found herself able to get free. Finally running over to Chloe’s side as they placed her down on a stretcher. She heard the pounding of footsteps and assumed the Bella’s weren’t that far behind her. 

“Chloe, Chloe wake up. Chloe look at me, please.”

She was pushed to the side as people rushed around her, an oxygen mask placed over her mouth and nose, the edges of which were dusted black with ash. A blanket was thrown over her for warmth, something Beca thought she probably didn’t need. A few elbows later, Beca managed to make her way back through, clutching onto Chloe’s hand, stomach dropping as she felt how limp it was.  
Chloe was lifted off the ground, and with pace was brought into the ambulance. Beca followed suit, but was stopped when a pair of hands pushed her gently back.

“I’m sorry family only.”

If looks could kill.

“Are you kidding? We are family, the Bella’s are family. Chloe’s parents and brother are all the way in Georgia so unless you want to wait until they arrive!?”

The paramedic’s expression dropped in sympathy, and Beca concluded it was from the desperation in her voice. Her beckoned her in, and she breathed a sigh of relief, though the sickness didn’t ebb away. Before she stepped in, she turned to the Bella’s.

“Is it okay if I go with her?” She gulped.

“Of course, we’ll borrow Jesse’s car, and probably a taxi too.” A huff of laughter escaped past Stacie’s lips, but it fell into dead air.

Beca winced at the mention of Jesse, but nodded, and made her way to Chloe’s side, reconnecting their hands in the process. She glanced over at the Bella’s, losing sight as the doors slammed shut, a sound that resonated from her toes to her fingertips.   
She felt herself taking in each line and mark on Chloe’s face, her eyes tracing over the scar above her eyebrow, and gripping Chloe’s hand even harder to keep herself from brushing away the strands of hair that had escaped past her ears. She was focusing so intently, Beca almost missed the swipe of Chloe’s thumb across her palm, sending bolts of lightning along the surface of her skin.

“Chloe, Chloe can you hear me?”

Beca gave in and brushed her hand over Chloe’s cheek, revelling in the way Chloe’s eyes began to flutter. She tried to speak, but the mask was still covering her lips, so she reached her spare hand up to pull to the side.

“Beca?”

Her voice was raspy and quiet and made Beca want to cry with relief or sadness, she didn’t know which one.

“I’m here, you’re okay I’m here.” She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks yet again, wiping them away furiously.

“W-where are the others? Stacie and Flo a-and Amy and-”

“They all made it out, they’re all fine. And they’re going to meet us at the hospital, okay?”

Chloe nodded, sucking in a breath and Beca placed the oxygen mask back over her, worried she was struggling to breathe. The air she expelled fogged up the mask until she pulled it back again, eyes catching Beca’s gaze.

“I was so scared.”

The vulnerability in her voice made Beca shift closer to her, as if that would somehow make everything okay.

“There was so much smoke Becs, I thought-”

“No, don’t think about that okay? You’re here and you’re fine, and if anything, your hair seems even redder which I think is a bonus.”

Chloe shook a little with laughter, coughing as she did and making Beca feel guilty for trying to joke around. But when Chloe smiled, the corners of her lips tilting up so her cheeks puffed out, it caused a feeling of content to resonate within Beca. 

“I wish I would’ve stayed in.” Chloe shook her head, but Beca spoke again before she could argue. “I could’ve stopped Amy, convinced her what a fucking bad idea it was to go even remotely close to the stove. Then you wouldn’t be here.” Her fingertips were fiddling with Chloe’s splayed out hair, hoping it would distract her from the sobs caught in her throat.

“Beca this isn’t your fault, it’s no one’s fault, sometimes things just happen.”  
Beca shook her head in disbelief. “Only you Beale would say that after something like this has happened. God you’re perfect.”

Chloe’s mouth opened but shut within the space of a second, and Beca felt the edges of her vision blur in panic.

“Positive. I-I meant positive.”

Silence fell over them, and Beca wished the ground could just swallow her up. Chloe, however, appeared to be rather satisfied with Beca’s accidental word vomit, winking at her. Only Chloe.  
The vehicle rumbled to a stop, and the doors swung open. Beca lifted herself off the so-called-seat, felt more like a slab of stone, and kept close to Chloe’s side as they wheeled her in through the hospital doors.  
   
 ————————————————

Beca was pacing in the waiting room, the rest of the Bellas following her path, their gaze mimicking that of a tennis match. The walls were too white, and her footsteps echoed too much, Beca couldn’t stand the quiet. She couldn’t stand Jessica and Ashley’s chattering as they spoke to Chloe’s parents over the phone, she couldn’t stand how her heart jumped every time a doctor came near, she couldn’t stand-

“Chloe Beale?”

“Yes, that’s us, I mean we’re not Chloe Beale, you probably already know that, but we’re here for Chloe Beale.”

The doctor quirked her eyebrow, clearing her throat before she began speaking.

“So, we’ve done all the check-ups and she’s fine.” Beca could finally breathe. 

“Her airways are clear, though she will most definitely develop a cough, I wouldn’t be too worried about that it’s perfectly normal. Her eyes may seem quite red but we’ve given her some eye drops which will reduce the irritation. But we do want to keep her in overnight.” Beca felt her heart rate increase and her eyes must’ve widened as the doctor hastily went about comforting her, and the numerous amount of Bella’s hovering over her shoulder. “She would’ve been exposed to carbon monoxide in the fire, and we want to make sure that has no lasting effects. But overall, she seems fine. She’s very lucky. You can come visit her now but I’d recommend only a few at a time.”

Beca turned to look at the other Bella’s, all of whom hesitated and looked at one another. Emily was the one who spoke up.

“Beca you go, we’ll come in later.”

They nodded and Beca’s expression furrowed a little before turning to follow the doctor. When she was out of earshot, Stacie sighed.

“Is she ever gonna get her head out of her ass and realise she’s in love with Chloe?”

The other Bella’s hummed in agreement.  
 

 

When Beca walked through the door, thanking the doctor for opening it and allowing her through, she wanted to cry on the spot, onto the pristine floor. Chloe looked so fragile, even more so than she had in the ambulance. Her hair was tucked behind her shoulders, and the ash had finally been cleared from the edges of her nose. She looked so much like Chloe, yet so different. Her eyes flickered open at the disturbance, squinting as they came into focus, lips curving upwards when she saw Beca.

“Hey you.” Chloe was quiet, and her head lolled to the side as she gazed.

“Hey”

She shifted from foot to foot, and Chloe giggled at her. She patted the space on the bed beside her, convincing Beca to lie next to her. Beca was worried that she might hurt Chloe, but eventually settled down when Chloe rested her head on her shoulder. The contact made her mind spin out of control, and she had to rapidly reel it back in once she realised Chloe was talking.

“What a day huh? I mean, who knew going to college was so eventful?” It was a bad attempt to lighten the mood, and Chloe’s face dropped once she saw Beca’s expression.

“What a day? Chlo you could’ve died! Do you realise what that would’ve done to people, everyone in this fucking state would’ve been affected! Do you realise what it would’ve done to your parents, to the Bellas, to…!” She trailed off, her twiddling thumbs became all the more interesting in a matter of seconds.

“To who, Beca?” She searched in the other girl’s eyes for anything, anything that would give her feelings away.  
Beca wanted to put her walls up, she could feel them itching to be rebuilt. But this was Chloe, and Chloe didn’t deserve to be pushed out. Not anymore.

“You know who to.” It wasn’t her best attempt at opening up, but it was all she could do as she felt her throat tighten.

“Beca it would be the same if any of The Bellas were in my situation.”

Beca shook her head.

“It wouldn’t be, and you know that.” She whispered with a severe lack of volume that Chloe had to strain to hear it. “I mean obviously I wouldn’t want any of them to end up in a fire I mean Jesus.” She paused, mulling over her next choice of words. “But it’s you Chlo. God if anything had happened to you…you mean so much to so many people-”

“What do I mean to you Becs?”

Chloe was really testing her tonight, and Beca felt herself shift on the bed in a sudden state of discomfort. She hesitated, and that’s all it took for Chloe to continue.

“Forget it, it doesn’t matter. How was your evening with Jesse?”

Beca gulped down a breath she didn’t know she was holding, eyes flickering up the ceiling almost in prayer.

“I umm, might’ve broken up with Jesse tonight.” She winced, avoiding Chloe’s eyes, Chloe’s face, Chloe’s-

“You broke up with him? But why?”

Beca gave her a look of scepticism as Chloe’s voice raised a few octaves. Chloe knew exactly why Beca had broken up with Jesse, and both of them were aware of that. She finally turned to Chloe, eyes flickering down to her lips.  
Before either of them moved, Beca allowed the sound of her voice to take over the silence “You know why Chloe” and took advantage of Chloe’s shocked state instead of thinking rationally. She pressed her lips briefly but firmly to Chloe’s, revelling in how soft they were. As she pulled away, she caught Chloe’s bottom lip between her teeth for a split second. Though they had given each other some distance, they were still close enough that their breaths mingled. Beca’s eyes shut once again, and this time she threaded her hand through Chloe’s hair, tugging and bringing her impossibly closer. This time they were breathless, and Beca swore she had never seen Chloe’s blue eyes so close up. They were so refreshing.

“Can’t believe we didn’t do that sooner.” 

Chloe chuckled, missing the way Beca’s hand intertwined in her red locks as she brought her arm back down by her side.

“All it took was a fire.”

They both giggled at that. Beca swore she didn’t, Chloe believes otherwise.


End file.
